EP vote on Eurovignette: Harmonisation of transport tariffs

Publication date: 15 December 2005

Parliament is in favour of on a harmonised European system for the calculation of tolls and road charging for heavy goods vehicles. A large majority of MEPs adopted the second-reading recommendation by Corien WORTMANN-KOOL (NL). The Eurovignette directive is one of the top priorities of European transport policy.
 

The directive aims to harmonise tolls and user charges in all Member states in order to strengthen the Internal Market and establish a fair system of charging for the use of infrastructure based on the "user pays" and the "polluter pays" principles.  It seeks to introduce standards which offer Member States the possibility to charge infrastructure costs for road transport.  It also contains a roadmap towards the future introduction of internalising external costs for all modes of transport.  In addition, it aims to propose the use of transportation with the least environmental impact and stimulate new investment in transport infrastructure.  During the debate on Tuesday 13 December, Parliament argued that an agreement was urgently needed as a growing number of Member States were considering introducing tolls and/or road charging.
 

At its meeting of 14 November, the Transport Committee adopted the rapporteur´s proposal on the revision of the Eurovignette by 24 votes to 4, with 18 abstentions. However, since Mrs Wortmann-Kool succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Council of Transport Ministers on 7 December, supported by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, GUE/NGL and UEN groups, she tabled compromise amendments addressing the most controversial issues of this directive, such as a clear strategy for internalising external costs, the geographical scope of the directive, the types of lorries concerned, obligatory toll variations and the concepts of "earmarking of revenue".
 

External costs
The Council accepts the concept of internalising external costs.  It was agreed that the Commission will come up with a model on the internalisation of external costs no later than two years including an impact assessment and a strategy for the stepwise introduction for all modes of transport.  Ultimately three years later, the Commission will come up with a proposal for further revision of this directive. 
 

Mrs Wortmann-Kool welcomes the substantial strengthening of environmental issues in this directive. For instance toll variations according to Euro-classes will be obligatory no later than 2010 for those countries which have toll or user charges.  Next to that there is also clarification of the possibilities Member States have to introduce urban traffic charges in order to fight air pollution and congestion.
 

Vehicle scope
Although the Council of Transport Ministers had proposed that tolls and/or user charges are to be applicable to vehicles with a permissible laden weight of 12 tonnes and more, the Ministers now accepted the principle of charging of 3.5 tonnes instead from 2012.  There are some strictly formulated exemptions in order to prevent that costs are excessively high in relation to revenues and to prevent undesirable consequences for the environment.
 

Earmarking
Parliament's amendments relating to stricter earmarking were also accepted.  Revenues from tolls or charges for the use of road in the trans-European road networks should be used for the maintenance of the infrastructure concerned and the transport sector as a whole.
 

Geographical scope
Toll and user charges are supposed to be applied to the whole of the trans-European road network as a principle.  Council now accepts the EP proposal for a concept of parallel and road to which traffic might be diverted and which are in direct competition with TEN-roads.
 

No conciliation
After this vote this co-decision procedure can be concluded, thus avoiding conciliation.

Related News Item:
Green light for revision of Eurovignette directive (15 November 2005)